Father's son
by shadowrider97
Summary: Ike has left, but before he went, he had a son. Now, a new evil threatens Tellius. Can he live up to his father's reputation? lame summary. rated T for suggestive language
1. Chapter 1

A/N: this is my second fanfiction and first Fire Emblem one so please R&R so I can get better!

disclaimer: i do not own fire emblem (unless you count buying a copy which i don't). Most names are made up. Any connection to actual characters or places in any game other than Path of Radiance or Radiant Dawn is purely coincidental.

_Prologue_

_Night settled in on the camp quietly. The team knew pressing on would be dangerous. After all, who knew when the Disciples of Order would strike?_

_Ike called for a full halt, though reluctantly. Staring out onto the horizon he could see the great capitol of Begnion, the Tower of Guidance shining through the darkness. _

_They would arrive tomorrow. They would arrive for the fight of their lives. He silently wondered if they could actually emerge victorious. So much was riding on his shoulders. He just couldn't afford to lose._

_One could smell the anxiousness of the camp below. His friends had followed him this far. He prayed it wouldn't be their last mistake. He heard footsteps approaching. Turning to look, he saw Mia come to stand beside him._

_She's the Mia he had sparred with every day for years since meeting her. The greatest swordswoman he knew. She was one of his closest friends. But something had changed._

_He no longer just saw her as an annoyance that made him get up every morning to fight. He started looking forward to the time alone with her. He would sometimes find himself watching, thinking "Wow, is she beautiful."_

_She stopped next to him. "It's going to be one heck of a fight, huh Boss."_

"_Yes, we may not make it out," he replied._

"_Don't think like that," she scolded. "We'll be just fine._

_Staring at her under the moonlight he suddenly found the courage to do something amazing. "Mia, just in case we don't… I want you to know something." _

_She raised an eyebrow. She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by his lips against hers. She froze, startled, before relaxing into his kiss._

"_I love you Mia. I have for a while now. I wanted you to know, just in case…"_

"_You know Ike; I've wanted to hear that for a long time."_

_00000000_

_Two figures stood atop a large fortress, starring at the moon. One said, "Man I thought that celebration was never going to end, eh Ike?" She saw something in his expression that made her hesitate. "What is it, Boss?" she inquired._

_He sighed. "I'm leaving, Mia. I'm going to go explore the other continents, other than Tellius. No, you can't come with me," he said, answering her unspoken question. "I leave tomorrow."_

_They stood in silence before the woman spoke. "There's nothing I can say to make you change your mind?" she asked hopefully. He shook his head._

_She sighed. Suddenly, she smiled seductively. "Well then, if you won't stay, and I can't come with you, I'll just have to make your last night… worthwhile."_

_A look of confusion crossed his face. "What do you mean by that?"_

_She just smiled and grabbed his hand. "You'll see," she said as she dragged him back to the fortress._

_00000000_

_Two months after Ike left, Mia was wandering the fort when she felt a sudden pain in her stomach. She decided to have Mist check it out. She found the girl in her room, resting._

"_Mist, I had some stomach pains. Can you take a look?" The girl nodded._

_Taking her staff, she reached for the warrior's stomach, but paused, a look a shock coming across her face. Suddenly she grinned. "Mia! Why didn't you tell me?"_

"_Tell you what?" she asked, confused._

"_You mean you don't know?" Mia shook her head. Mist grinned._

"_Mia, you're going to be a mother!"_

_00000000_

_Mia lay waiting to hear the fruits of her agonizing labor. Suddenly, crying reached her ears._

"_It's a boy!" cried Titania._

"_Ohhhh, what are you going to call him!" asked Mist._

_Mia cradled him in her arms. "His name is going to be fitting of his father, a legend that vanished without a trace. His name will be Wraith._

_End of Prologue_

A/N: well that's it! Please review! Also, please check out my other story!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's my second chapter! This is fifteen and a half years after the end of the prologue (I couldn't decide if I wanted them to be fifteen or sixteen).Thank you to those of you who reviewed. Please do so again if you could, I need your input.

Chapter 1

He was in a small clearing in the forest. He was practicing his sword work, moving like a hurricane. The sweat pouring from his face was a testament to the hours he had already spent out there. In his hands he gripped Ettard, an inheritance from his father.

He was in the middle of a complicated series of strokes when a voice yelled from the edge of the clearing. "Wraith, come on! They'll be here soon!"

The sudden sound caused him to lose his rhythm, thus making him miss a stroke in the sequence. Sighing he turned to face the direction the voice had come from. At the edge of the clearing stood two figures, a boy and a girl, who were glaring at the young swordsman.

The girl, Tess, was medium height with pale skin, long black hair braided down her back, and crimson eyes, all taken from her father, Soren, while the rest of her features were molded from her mother, Illyana. She had on a sky blue, long sleeve shirt that ended at her mid-thighs and a pair of black leggings with red trim that matched her eyes.

The boy, Dane, had light green hair that was inherited from his father, Rolf, and blue eyes from his mother, Mist. He had sharp features, a light tan, and smile lines around his eyes, though he wore a glare presently. He was dressed simply in a brown short-sleeve shirt and brown leggings. Across his back was a bow and quiver of arrows.

He himself had been told he looked like his father when Ike had taken over the Greil Mercenaries. The difference was he had inherited his mother's indigo hair and eyes. He wore a black tunic and dark grey leggings. wrapped around his shoulders was a black cloak. Adorning his left shoulder was a leather shoulder pad, and he had boots of the same material. One thing had gained form neither parent was that he was left handed.

"You know Tess," Wraith said, "It's not polite to interrupt a man when he's preparing for a greeting ceremony, it's rude."

Dane raised an eyebrow. "If by greeting ceremony you mean you and Gwen beating the crap out of each other and us dragging your unconscious backsides to mother and Rhys for healing than yes, you're preparing for a ceremony."

The warrior grinned. "Exactly! Hey Dane, you want in?"

The archer paled. "And get in between you two adrenaline crazed knuckleheads? I don't think so!"

Wraith burst out laughing. When he finally caught his breath he said, "Well than, why don't you two leave this adrenaline crazed knucklehead to prepare to beat up the other adrenaline crazed knucklehead, eh?"

Tess couldn't contain herself any longer. "Well if you don't hurry and get back, you'll miss your chance!"

Sighing, he began to follow them back towards Fort Greil. As they neared the fort, Wraith heard a rustle in the bushes nearby. He grinned and continued to walk as though he hadn't heard a thing.

_Wait for it, _he thought. _Wait for it… Now!_

He twisted his body just as a light blue feline form leapt from the bushes in an attempt to tackle him. Instead, he caught its shoulder and pinned it to the ground. It struggled before letting out a howl of frustration and transforming into a girl.

She had violet eyes and light blue hair which was held in a brown hat. She wore a grey tunic and forest green leggings. She had slim features and a pretty face which was usually scowling, like now.

Lethe stepped out of the bushes. "No, not like that Westa! If you make a noise you should just abandon the hunt because your prey knows you're there! Honestly, I thought my daughter knew better!" she scolded, but unable to hide a humored smile.

"I'm sorry mother," she replied ashamedly. "You're right, I should have known better." Turning to face her capture she added, "I'll get you next time!"

The boy chuckled. "Alright, but 'til then you remember our deal, right?"

She nodded. Her expression was a mixture of a grimace and a smile. "Yes. I have to spend a whole day of training with you. Honestly though, these are starting to seem like a regular thing."

He chuckled. "It is. You still haven't caught me by surprise."

As they were the only ones willing to spar with the other, they had made a bet. Every time Westa failed to catch him by surprise she had to spend one whole day helping him train whatever it was he wanted to train, and vise versa if she caught him. The two enjoyed the time, though they were beginning to grow wary of the other's skills. By now they knew each other's fighting styles inside and out, and this made them a fearsome combo. It also made them best friends.

With the addition of the two laguz, the group entered the gate. Wraith took a moment to view the surroundings. After Ike left, Oscar followed suit by joining the Crimean royal knights, though his place had been filled by Illyana. Ranulf and his mate, Lethe, had brought their daughter with them as they journeyed to Crimea to help improve beorc/laguz relations. They had been staying at Fort Greil for three years now.

Other than that, the Greil Mercenaries were pretty much the same. Shinon lazed in the sun, Gatrie was staring dreamily into space muttering something about girls, and Ranulf was making his way towards them.

He didn't look happy.

"WESTA!" he shouted, "How many times have I told you not to steal my lucky hat!" He grabbed said hat from her head a shoved it onto his own. Wraith stifled a snicker, remembering all the times the pair had robbed the veteran of his headwear.

She grinned sheepishly. "Well father, I was trying to catch Wraith and I figured a little luck might help."

He sighed. "Honey, that's the eighth time this month you've tried. And I'm willing to bet this one ended the same way." She nodded. "Well at least you won't have to worry about the bargain for a while," he continued with grin. "With Gwen coming neither of them will be able to get out of bed, much less train!" no sooner than he had said those words did a shadow pass overhead.

They all looked up to see a large form descending from the sky.

End of chapter

A/N: well that's it! Who is Gwen, and what is the form from the end? Why are you asking me? I'm just making this up as I go! Please review! Constructive criticism wanted.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Well here it is! I know what few readers I have have been waiting for this, so go ahead.

P.S. I don't know what Zihark's eye color is so I went from my gut.

Chapter 2

They all looked up to see a large form descending from the sky. When it had landed they saw it was a green wyvern with two figures atop its back. The group hurried toward the new arrivals as they began dismounting.

They were two girls. One was someone almost all on Tellius knew well. She was the legendary Jill, wielder of the blessed axe Urvan, and messenger for all six nations. She was also the wife of the beorc/laguz embassidor and master swordsman, Zihark.

At her side was a girl who looked almost exactly like her mother, the only difference were the silvery blue eyes she had gotten from her father. Even their armor was the same shade of bright red.

Tucked in her belt were two small one-handed battle axes. At first glance they looked like regular hatchets, but upon further inspection one would see the serrated edges, the small blades attached to the other side of the head and the bottom of the hilt, and the slight hook at the bottom of the head for disarming opponents.

This girl was Gwen, Wraith's friend and rival for as long as either could remember. Both sought to prove their skills to the other, him with the training of the Greil mercenaries, and her with all the training Daein had at its disposal. They both had received the training of the Gallian soldiers as well.

Once every three months, if Jill didn't have a delivery, the pair would come to the fort to catch up with old friends. As tradition, Wraith and Gwen would have a sparring match to test their skills against the other, one that would always leave the pair exhausted and beaten for the next few days.

The old friends embraced each other for a moment as the inhabitants of the fort made their way towards the new arrivals. Jill greeted all her old friends, but that's when Wraith noticed that the pair had not come alone.

Landing behind the wyvern were three members of the bird tribe. The first was a raven woman with dark hair and sky blue eyes. The second was another raven, but this one was the oldest man he had ever seen. He was almost completely bald, save for some wisps of white hair and his face was covered in wrinkles.

But it was the third that truly caught his eyes. She was a young girl of the hawk tribe with sand colored hair that traveled just passed the shoulders, a small nose, pink lips, and she had the same eyes as the raven woman. She had on a russet colored shirt with no sleeves and navy blue leggings.

That was when Mist noticed that the birds were there as well. "Vika! What are you doing here!" she cried out in joy. "And is that you Nealuchi! Wow, you got old! Oh and Moon! You've gotten so big! I remember when you were just a baby!"

"I ran into them on my way over," explained Jill. "They were escorting Princess Leanne and Lord Naesala on their way to Melior."

Something in her tone caught Wraith's attention. He knew his mother caught it too, because she turned and said, "Why don't you all go and get to know Moon? She seems really shy, standing there all alone staring at the dirt."

Wraith nodded and all the younger friends gathered together. Before introductions were even made Wraith looked to the young cat and said, "Westa, conversation, now."

She nodded and pointed her ears in the direction of the adults. With her amazing hear combined with her natural talent of mimicking voices they could all tell exactly what they were saying.

"The war has gotten far worse," said Vika seriously. "Tibarn has sent the Princess to the safety of Queen Elincia with Naesala, and Janaff was worried about Moon and I, so he sent us here. My husband has a good heart, but I must return to assist my king."

"Elincia is sending both Geoffrey and Renning to Sanaki as well," Jill added. "Marcia is worried about her lover's safety, but Geoffrey convinced her he would be fine, though he worries about her because she is to be in charge of defending the trade routes for those-those foreigners!" She said the last word with fury. "We let them into Tellius and they invade! What kind of friendship is that! Dagonar (day- gone- are) will pay for this!"

Vika nodded. "That they will, my friend. After all, Tibarn is hiring the Greil Mercenaries to help."

Mia inhaled sharply. "You're really here to hire us? It's really that bad?"

It was Ranulf who replied. "It is. Lethe and I got our orders yesterday. Skrimir wants us to return home and prepare Gallia for combat. We were going to leave Westa here, but now with all of you going to be gone…"

Mia raised an eyebrow. "Who said we were all going to be gone? Wraith, Dane, and Tess are too young to be fighting in a war, and I assumed Gwen would be staying here too. I was also going to ask Marcia to send Galore over here as well. Wraith would be happy to see the boy he considers a brother."

"In that case," Vika began, "Moon can stay here as well. Though it begs the question, who's babysitting?"

Nealuchi finally spoke up. "All right I'll do it! I may be young enough to win a battle, but I'm sure too old to live through a war. Plus, I'm good at keeping an eye on children. Isn't that right younglings?"

The children froze. Glancing up they realized that the old crow had been watching them the entire time. They all stared sheepishly at the astonished adults.

Finally, Mia spoke. "So you heard everything?" Her son nodded. She sighed before continuing. "All right, first thing you need to know is that about five years ago a group of explorers who came from a country called Dagonar appeared. Dagonar is part of another continent to the south of Tellius.

"That continent was hostile.

"Last year they declared war on Tellius. The war has gotten worse. As you know, we are all going to assist in the fighting. You are all going to wait here for our return with Nealuchi and Galore. Any questions?"

"Yes," answered Wraith. "WHY CAN'T WE FIGHT!? You've trained us all our lives for this! We can help you!"

"No," said Jill.

"You're too young," added Mist.

Wraith raised an eyebrow. "You guys were like, twelve when you joined the Mad King's War."

"That's beside the point," replied Mist with a slight blush.

"You are staying here, and that's final!" shouted Mia, her usually calm demeanor gone. "We will be leaving in three days' time. After that none of you are to leave this fort! We'll arrange to have supplies sent until we can make our way back! That's all! Now why don't you and Gwen go and have your sparring match. You'll be doing a lot of that soon."

The children glanced at each other before heading out the front gate into the woods.

End of chapter.

A/N: Confined to quarters! What will happen next! Sorry about the short summary of the war. If you have any questions PM me. As always please review and criticize constructively.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here we go. I thank you ShiverInTheLight and Gunlord500 for reviewing! You have both been a great help!

Chapter 3

As the children entered the training area they realized that Boyd had followed them. "I'm here to make sure life goes on as always," he explained, which was just a fancy way of saying he was there to stop them from running off.

Though no one said it, it was obvious that the young ones wanted to run to the front lines instead of cowering like mice. However, with Boyd there, they wouldn't get far. And if Wraith knew Titania she would have guards watching them while they slept, so a night escape wasn't an option.

Wraith grabbed a trainer and Gwen picked up a pair of practice axes. If they couldn't beat down Dagonarians they could at least take their frustrations out on each other.

The two took up combat stances. They circled each other, neither one willing to risk the first move. Finally, Gwen's impatience got the better of her and she leapt forward.

He dodged her right swing and blocked downward stroke. She pivoted into a double arch strike. Using his trainer, Wraith held the stroke in check. They suddenly found themselves locked in a stale mate. With her weight going forward it would be too difficult to push her back, while he also couldn't go backward because it would be too difficult to avoid the halted blow in time. She couldn't go backward because it would be too easy for him to throw her off balance and his stance kept the swing from continuing.

The freeze went on… longer… longer. That's when he felt it. There was a slight shift in her weight. With the right angle… NOW!

He unlocked the blades and pulled backwards. The shift had caused some of her weight to pull back, thus making the stoke half a second slower. That half a second was just enough for him to pull away.

She instantly recovered, sending a series of strokes his way. Watching her fight he noticed that her fighting wasn't like other axe wielders. She almost seemed like she was… dancing. Her movements were fluid and precise, focusing more on speed and momentum then sheer force. Whenever he moved to another side of her she would pivot to face him. It was… beautiful.

It was this reason she was one of the only two people that could match him blow for blow, the other being Galore. He could defeat most of the mercenaries but Shinon, Titania and Mia were in a league all their own. The three younglings had been friends and rivals for the longest time.

He couldn't help pause to stare in wonder at the amazing sight before him. He soon recovered from his momentary hesitation and the battle resumed in full.

The world shrunk to the clearing. The only people in it were the two warriors. The only emotion was expressed in the swing of their blades.

Their weapons made contact and a loud "CRACK!" was heard as both of her axes shattered. Instantly, he slammed his sword into the girl. She was lifted off her feet and launched to the ground, unconscious.

A wave of exhaustion slammed into Wraith and he fell to his knees. The world began spinning around him. Looking up he saw that the fight had lasted at least an hour and a half. Tess's concerned face was the last thing he saw before falling unconscious.

End of chapter

A/N: As always, please review and criticize constructively.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Wraith was in a state of semi-consciousness. Even so, he noticed three things.

First of all, he could tell it was sometime at night from the moonlight streaming through the open window, but he couldn't move to see the moon itself. The sounds of the late night echoed in his ears.

Next, he realized he was in the medical bay. The many scents of the place struck his nostrils, from the medical herbs to Mist's dinner earlier. He could feel the soft bed beneath him that only the patients were allowed to use. They were the beds that Mist and Rhys had yelled at Dane, Tess, and him for sneaking into when they were little.

Lastly, he wasn't alone.

He could tell it was a girl from the amount of hair she had, and from the feel of her hands. She was clutching his right hand with her left, while her head lay gently against his stomach. Her steady breathing let him know she was sleeping. With his lack of complete consciousness combined with the fact that she was hidden in the darkness of the shadows he was unable to tell who she was.

He listened to her slight snoring. Every inhale and exhale sounded like a perfectly tuned musical note, strangely enough. She continued to breathe her sweet symphony, and it began to lull him back to sleep…

00000000

When next he awoke, he only remembered the girl as if in a dream. Early morning light fluttered in through the windows. Sitting in a chair beside the bed was a figure that Wraith knew well.

"Galore, is that you?" he asked incredulously. The boy smiled in reply.

He gathered from his father the light blue hair with darker blue eyes, the tall height, and the serious features. He even had the same blue and gold armor. Despite this, he reminded most people of his mother. He had the same playful personality, the kind eyes, the sense of humor, and the ability to make most people cringe in fear of his anger.

His steel great lance leaned against the wall. He had been trained by the Royal Knights of Crimea, along with Nephenee, and this had made him one of the most famed lance wielders in Crimea. Nephenee had taught him how to use the lance in ways other than the traditional styles of the knights. He was as dangerous at close range as he was at a distance. He was able to use a lance with the combined style of a bow staff, a technique that was difficult at best, and this gave him an advantage against his enemies.

"Well it looks like our sleeping prince has awoken," said the lance man with a smile.

"Ya well, why couldn't my first sight be my gorgeous princess instead of a hideous troll," he replied. They both burst out laughing.

"At least you woke up! I'm starting to wonder if she'll be moving before the weekend!" Following the knight's gaze he saw Gwen resting peacefully in the next bed. "You hit her pretty hard," he added.

Wraith shrugged. "She wanted to fight the master. It looks like she needs more training. What day is it?"

"You sparred the day before yesterday. They're all moving out tomorrow," he added sadly.

"Do you think we can get passed the old crow?" the sword wielder asked seriously.

His friend considered the question before shaking his head. "I don't know how he does it, but he seems to know exactly where everyone is at the same time! There's no way we're getting outta here without his say so."

The pair sat in silence for several minutes. Finally, Wraith asked, "Do you think we can take him?"

The knight laughed. "He would be up in a few minutes and have a battalion of Crimean soldiers after us. The only way we could buy his silence is to kill him and that would lead to war with the bird tribes, which we really can't afford at the moment."

"Well, we'll just have to think of something."

"When you have a plan, let me know. I'm going to put my stuff in my room. I'll see you later." With that the knight gripped his lance and stepped out the door.

00000000

The mercenaries and their companions stood in front of the main gate to say their goodbyes.

Gwen had regained enough consciousness to offer a good luck to her mother as she mounted he wyvern. Galore gave his father and his mentor, Renning, a salute as they both stepped up onto their horses. Dane and his parents had a much more tearful departure as they all gathered together for a hug.

Soren and Ilyana both gave their daughter a kiss on the forehead had reminded her not to forget her studies. Westa gave her parents a pitiful wail as they both embraced her, sadness in their eyes. Vika stood and gave Moon's wings a good few strokes before she took to the air with a remorseful look behind her.

That left Mia and Wraith.

They just stood in front of each other, saying nothing as they stared deeply into each other's eyes. The long hours they had spent training together since the day he could lift a trainer had left them able to understand each other without words, just by the way they moved.

'_I'm proud of you,' _her eyes said.

'_If you were proud you wouldn't be leaving me here,' _he said back.

'_Don't you get it? You are Tellius's last line of defense! If we fall you're the only hope it has left! I just don't want you to have to watch when that responsibility falls on your shoulders! Please understand!' _she seemed to plead.

'_I understand, but I don't like it. Just hurry up and get home. Next time, you'll know I'm ready!'_

'_I know I will. You know, you remind me so much of your father. He couldn't just stand sitting idly by either. One day, I'm sure you'll make him proud,'_ she said with a smile_._

'_If he ever shows up, that is,' _he replied with a slight glare.

She only sighed before mounting her horse and riding off with the rest of the company, while the seven children and the old raven watched them fade into the distance.

End of chapter.

A/N: there it is! (Announcer voice) Who was the girl? What will our heroes do now that they've been left to the fortress? Find out next time on Father's Son! (Constructive criticism wanted.)

P.S. there was an important bit of foreshadowing in there. I'll give the first person to get it right an optional OC (PM me, I don't want to spoil it for everyone). You can pick the side 'cause I kinda need villains right now. I have a main villain and his right hand but I need generals, so if you want to fill that position I thank you! (HINT- its not the "If he ever shows up" comment.)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I finally got it! I'll admit, it took me a while but I did it!

We haven't had any winners for the little contest yet, so keep trying! There is another hint in this chapter too, so that one will work as well! I still need villains so I'm changing it up. If you win you can have a protagonist, but I'll accept ideas for any villains. I need three!

Here you go!

Chapter 5

The next few weeks Wraith filled with training and activities with the others. He could be found in the training hollow before dawn and long after dusk. Sometimes he would spar with his friends, depending on which of them could still move afterwards. Sometimes he would join his friends in games they played in the afternoons. Moon had to referee hide and seek because apparently she had inherited her father's eyesight, thus giving whatever team she was on an unfair advantage.

Nealuchi proved to be a more than competent baby-sitter. He seemed to know exactly where everyone was at all times of the day. He also seemed to have a sixth sense as to when someone planned to run away. It probably came from raising so many flying children. Wraith could tell one thing though; they weren't going anywhere anytime soon with him around.

Then the day arrived, but it was one that would haunt them for the rest of their days.

Wraith sat on the stable roof, just watching the others resting below when Nealuchi appeared beside him. The old man offered a smile. "Why aren't you down there with the others?" he inquired.

"Just don't feel like it," he replied gruffly.

The raven stared at him with hard eyes and an expressionless face. Finally he said, "I know you've probably heard this many times, but you're just like your father. He couldn't stand to sit by and let others fight his battles either. He always had to be right there on the front lines, fighting just as hard as everyone else! He was by far the greatest man I ever met. And he was only a boy before he became the greatest warrior to walk Tellius since the time of Altina!"

"Exactly, he was just a boy!" replied Wraith angrily. "He was about my age when he first began his journey, so why is everyone telling me to wait!"

The old one watched him silently, his face serious. "You're time will come, and sooner than you think," he said at last.

Wraith opened his mouth to reply when he felt a strange shiver down his spine and tingle in his stomach. Both figures stiffened and turned to the west. "You felt it too?" asked the old crow, though it was more of a statement than a question. He only nodded.

None of the others on the ground seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary. That's when the wind picked up. A gust came from out of the west, blowing over rocks and shaking trees. Westa froze with her eyes wide.

The gust lasted only a moment, quelling as suddenly as it came. "What do you smell?" inquired the old one as he scanned the trees.

"Steel, and a lot of it," she replied.

"Moon, get in the air and give us a scope of the surroundings, the rest of you seal the gates and suit up!" yelled Wraith. Everyone hurried to obey.

Moon flew back to them, her face white and beads of sweat trickled down her face which held an expression of pure terror. "There's an army down there!" she exclaimed. "They're circling the fort! They're all wearing some kind of black and red armor with these gold symbols I've never seen before!"

Nealuchi paled. "That sounds like the Dagonarian army. But they couldn't have come this far north unless… they sailed! The only reason someone would go to that trouble would be for an attack! They're laying siege to the fort! Tell me girl, who was leading them?"

Her eyes widened and she let out a whimper of fear. "He was massive, wearing a ton of armor! He had on this mask that completely covered his face, and I couldn't see his eyes. When I looked at him, it was like he stared back at me! When our eyes met I was just afraid! Not like normal fear that gives you goose bumps or makes you pee yourself, but it was like my _soul_ was terrified! It was like he was something… unnatural!"

She burst into tears as Nealuchi wrapped her in a comforting hug. "It's ok little one, your safe now."

She looked up and gasped. "That man on the ground, he has the leader's sword!"

They followed her gaze to a painting that hung in the entrance hall. It was of Ike standing with Ragnell grasped in his hand. On the ground beneath him was the Mad King Ashnard, his blade held weakly in his hands.

Nealuchi turned so the children wouldn't see the fear in his gaze. "Then it can only be one man, the Death Knight," he said grimly. "The right hand of God King Tergog. He stole the sword Gurgurant from the Mad King's tomb. His skill with a blade is legendary, so much so that some have even compared him to general Zelgius and general Gawain of Daein."

Moon gave another whimper. "What are we going to do?" she asked in a small voice.

"We're gonna fight, what else?" replied Gwen. Wraith and Galore sent her approving glances.

"No, you're not," said Nealuchi firmly. "When Daein first attacked Fort Greil the mercenaries built an escape route. We're going to flee while they assault the gates."

"NO!" shouted the young swordsman. "If we run now, we'll be running for the rest of our lives! I'm going to fight, whether it's here or on the front lines, but I won't run!"

"You aren't ready yet!" he protested. He pressed a stone a part of the wall vanished, revealing an earthen tunnel.

"It's like you said, Ike was only a child," Wraith said desperately. "He wasn't ready for the responsibilities placed on his shoulders, but he bore it anyway. That was his way of proving himself, and we need a chance to as well! And we won't stand by as the people we care about die because you're too afraid to let us fight!"

Silence filled the air. All of the children held their breath as the swordsman and the old raven locked gazes. Finally a small smile graced the laguz. "You know, for a moment I almost forgot I was talking to you," he said quietly. "You sounded every bit Ike, and I was beginning to think the old muscle head had returned!"

He reached forward and gripped Wraith's shoulders. "You have his flame," he began, "and I don't want to go down in history as the man who extinguished it before it had the chance to burn! The fate of Tellius rests on your shoulders now, young one. Lead it to a happy one.

"Take the others and escape down the tunnel," he continued. "Once you're out, head east by south east until you reach the Daein army camp, somewhere to the south of the Grann desert. Find King Sothe, he's a good man and will except your aid without a second thought. I'll buy you some time. It's like I told your parents; I have enough strength to fight a battle. No go!"

With that he shoved them down into the tunnel and the wall sealed shut behind them.

"Come on!" called Galore. He slung Dane onto his back and started running down the tunnel. Wraith did the same with Tess and began following him, pausing only to glance at Westa as she lifted up Moon and ran side by side with Gwen.

Something about Nealuchi's parting words bothered him, but he couldn't place it. That's when it hit him. He had said _fight _a battle; when he had originally said _win _a battle. That's when it hit him just what the raven had done.

"_Thank you, you old crow," _he thought to himself. _"It won't be in vain."_

00000000

The knight stared up at the stars above him. At his feet the old raven lay beaten and broken, while blood poured from his body. Flames licked at the sky as his men burned the fort down in search of the inhabitants.

The old one looked up at him. "You're too late," he croaked. "They're already gone. You will fail! You and your accursed king will burn in the abyss by the time this war is over!"

The knight continued to stare at the sky before turning his hidden gaze on the laguz. "It's a little late for that," he replied. With that he removed his helm.

The old one's eyes widened in shock and fear. "T-that's impossible! You're dead! You're-!" he was cut off as the knight's sword descended on him.

Placing his helmet back on, he faced one of his men. "Shall we pursue, my lord?" asked the man.

The knight considered before replying. "No, they are only children. The mercenaries are likely entering the front lines. Let us return to the Divine One." The soldier nodded before heading to gather the troops. The knight turned to the sky again.

"_Run, young swordsman," _he thought to himself. _"I will find you, and I will face you, son of Ike."_

End of chapter

A/N: a tad bit longer but it's still good! Please review! When they're carrying them it's because i realized that in reality archers are stationary fighters, mages probably wouldn't be runners, and since she could fly Moon probably wouldn't have much leg strength, so people with higher endurance would have to carry them. The hint was small, like in the last chapter, sorry! Until next time!


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